Capitol Punishment
by arl with a K
Summary: As a terrorist cell claims The Games Center as their own, they begin their own version of The Hunger Games... taking place in The Capitol... Will Nessa Elpis and friends survive? What will these spoilt, wealthy, materialistic characters do to survive the sadistic Games that Axel Kakon bestow upon them. Witness the world around them fade from the vivid colour they love.
1. Fashion Before Comfort

"I love it!" Nessa squealed as her stylist added a few finishing touches to her new hairstyle. Gazing adoringly at herself in the over sized vanity mirror, Nessa studied the detail atop her head. The first thing she noticed was the colour, 'Neon Plum' wasn't exactly something you could miss.

"The brighter the better" was her usual motto and according to the streets of The Capitol outside the salon window, most people seemed to agree with her.

She flirted with herself coyly from beneath a sweeping fringe which covered one eye before turning her head slightly. For a moment she forgot about her hair and admired her face from this angle. She was extremely beautiful with an elegant jawline, defined cheekbones and flawless make-up, which as expected was overly dramatic and flamboyant. An almost white foundation gave her a gentle glow and provided the base for a baby blue colour to dress her plump lips, her eyes shimmered with eye shadow that blended outwards from white, through to a light blue, followed by a deeper blue and finished off with a purple, which almost matched her new hair colour. Her over sized false lashes fluttered violently as she blinked, the tips of each lash was decorated with tiny stars which also changed from blue to purple as they caught the light. Her hair now covered her ears as it flowed gracefully to her neck, the rest was pulled back tightly into a large bun, twisted around many times before being pinned with gem covered accessories From the center of the bun, four slender braids weaved their way down Nessa's back, black streaks intertwined with the purple as the extensions grew to a point where the tips were decorated with blue and black feathers, probably from some endangered bird of paradise.

"Just wait until the girls get a look at me! They're going to turn 'gween with envy'" She giggled, mimicking an old quote she'd seen in a theatre show long ago. "Don't you worry, Sephie darling, once I step out of here, there'll be queues for miles, everybody wanting you to work your magic on them!" She spoke to the equally colourful man standing behind her but not once did she take her eyes off herself in the mirror. Twisting and turning her head to try and see every angle, then she paused and took a more serious tone. "But don't you forget Sephora, I'm your first priority!" She reminded him sternly, he just smiled and nodded, he too was impressed by his most recent work of art. "Well then, I best be off." Nessa rose from the salon chair and spun to face Sephora. Her royal blue, satin dress struggled to fit between the chair and the vanity table as she moved. The dress was very pretty and yet oozed with power as the colour matched the gentle regal theme it carried. Low cut and off the shoulder it revealed her neck, shoulders and just about covered her bosom. The top half of the dress was corseted and the ribbed frame caressed her waistline. The back of the dress plunged deep, stopping just before her back curved into her perky bottom. The exposure of her back meant that the four braids could tickle her skin as she moved her head and she liked the soft sensation it sent up her spine. The dress itself stopped just above the knee, but a translucent lighter material fell from her waist down to the floor. The same material acted as a soft tutu beneath the dress and created the pouffy look which was limiting her movement in tight areas, but as her mother always said,

"Fashion before Comfort."

Nessa had grown up in The Capitol and so it seemed that 'fashion' came before everything. The people of The Capitol weren't all bad people, in fact, most of them were just regular citizens, with normal lives, a home, a pet, a partner, a child or two, some of them even had a job. Although compared to the outer Districts, their jobs were less labour and more leisure. Nessa had worked as a model for several years, which didn't deflect from her obsession with fashion, but after her parents died, her inheritance allowed her to be a lady of complete leisure. Nowadays, Nessa would spend her time going shopping for another new outfit, getting her hair done before going for cocktails with her girl friends, taking a trip to some other luxurious part of the city or sitting at home watching awful daytime television whilst relaxing in her heated pool. The most demanding things she ever had to do these days was pay taxes and look after her pet, Twitter. Twitter was a Mockingjay, he was the first thing she'd bought with her inheritance to keep her company in the otherwise empty house. She enjoyed having him around and listening to the songs he'd imitate from the radio and due to his ability to mimic the human voice he'd have hours of conversation with Nessa. This ability had also gotten her into trouble a few times; she had friends over one night to host a screening of The Hunger Games and as she scurried into the kitchen to refill everybody's glasses, Twitter had repeated something she'd said in a bitchy tone about one of the present guests, fortunately everybody found it hilarious but Nessa still doesn't seem to get her invites to Ashe's Christmas parties even though he tells her he mailed it weeks in advance.

"Things to do, people to see. You know how it is!" Nessa said as she put her purse back into her handbag, which wasn't much bigger than the purse itself. After a rather energetic and exaggerated farewell, she brushed herself down, gave one last look to the mirror and stepped out into the street.

* * *

The Capitol's busiest retail sector was known to the locals as "The Hub" and the high street held everything you would ever need. Towers of stores, salons, restaurants, spas, cinemas, bars, exhibition centers and more lined the streets which were bustling with incredibly theatrical looking people. People scouting for the next best deal, meeting friends for a bite to eat, leisurely 'rushing' to a business meeting, all of them in their own little personal bubble creating a massive explosion of vivid colours.

Nessa made her way down towards the bar where she had planned to meet her friends. Squeezing her dress through crowds of people wasn't an easy task, yet she still managed to keep her elegance around her and with the rather Royal outfit and new hair, she gained a great sense of confidence which had some people moving out of the way for her. She noticed that she was catching people's eyes and as heads were turning she grinned to herself, loving the attention. Every time she caught her own reflection in a store window she had a quick glance to make sure she still looked perfect...and she did. She continued to strut down the street as though she was back on the catwalk from her modelling days, she imagined a huge billboard poster plastered across the buildings with her face on it, advertising her own fashion range. As she pretended to ignore the people staring at her she was filled with the smitten taste of Fame.

* * *

"Ness!" Her group of friends screeched her name as she entered the bar, increasing her ego even more. Everyone had made it and everyone had dressed to try and impress. Her best friend, Ternity, was the first to hug her. They'd been friends since the first day of ballet class, aged six, and had auditioned at the model agency together, Nessa always took a little bit of pleasure knowing that she got the job over Ternity.

"You look FABULOUS!" She squawked as she looked Nessa up and down.

"LOVING the new locks!" Said the twins, Syn and Didy, in unison. Nessa hated the way these girls dressed the same, spoke at the same time, did everything the same, she was pretty sure they even shared the same boyfriends. Even so, they were still her friends and threw some great parties. That's how they'd met, Nessa had been dragged along to one of their parties by Ternity when they were nineteen and they've been around ever since. As she smiled past Didy and Syn she spotted Ashe and the two shared a polite nod and fake smile. Ashe was a friend from the modelling days, "he's not as slim as he was back then" was the comment Twitter had blabbed in front of him and caused this silent feud. Obviously, as a model, he was quite a handsome guy, but after a fad diet went wrong, he couldn't stop himself binge eating and soon, fit became fat.

"Here, I got you a drink!" Nessa turned to a glamorous dark skinned woman who had draped herself over one of the sofas, sipping a mojito through a straw whilst holding another fruity drink in her other hand which she was offering to Nessa. It was Skot. Nessa adored this woman. Skot was the daughter of a very wealthy tycoon, she had led the life of luxury for so long, it radiated from her. The tale of how Ness had met Skot was one of their favourite anecdotes. Nessa was out looking for a new outfit and as she came out of the dressing room to ask for her friends opinions, Skot stepped out of the next dresser in exactly the same outfit. As the unwritten rules state, you can't wear something that somebody else has and so they both dashed back into their dressing rooms and quickly changed. As they stepped out once more, in their own outfits, they shared a moment of laughter and developed a relationship. After their first shopping trip together they decided that they'd both buy the outfit they'd met in as a token of their new friendship... as long as whenever they wore it, they wore it at the same time.

"It's about time somebody offered me a drink!" Nessa smiled as she tossed her braids over her shoulder and perched on the edge of the sofa besides Skot as she pursed her lips around the straw and sipped, careful not to smudge her lipstick. "That is lush!" She sighed as the strawberry flavoured alcohol cooled her throat. "It's so warm out today." She said fanning herself as if explaining what heat was to her friends. "I almost broke a sweat!"

"I wondered what that smell was." Ashe piped up in a playful tone but Nessa senses the bite behind it. Ternity scowled at him and threw a scatter cushion in his direction.

"Don't worry Ness, you look stunning!" She said turning her attention back to her friend with a smile. "But you're right, that sun is just not giving up! You know, I heard that if this weather doesn't give up soon, we'll have a drought so bad that Districts Nine and Eleven won't be able to harvest any crops because the land will be too dry to grow anything."

"I heard that the lakes over in District Four have been gradually disappearing because they've had no rain either." Syn and Didy yelped and pulled identical worried faces. The group jumped into a discussion about how the weather could potentially disrupt their lifestyles due to the effects it's having on the other Districts. The agriculture grain and fishing Districts would all leave the Capitol without food, a subject that Ashe was greatly interested in. Moments later, a tray was placed on the table.

"Nice to see you, Ms. Elpis!" A ridiculously attractive man had placed the tray of cocktails onto the table and set his eyes upon Nessa. "It's been a while." Nessa blushed and choked for words as she was bewitched by the male's beauty.

"You remember Dunamis, right, Nessa?" Ternity teased, knowing that Nessa had been in love with the olive skinned boy since they met him at a catwalk after party. They'd spent the whole night chatting and laughing on the balcony which overlooked the sea as the moonlight shone down on them. It was like something from a romantic novel. Dunamis has kept in touch afterwards and they met now and then for lunches, drinks and even the occasional party. There was a strong and obvious romance between them both but neither of them would ever make the first move even though there had been plenty of opportunities. Instead they just continued to flirt endlessly.

"How are you, Dun?" She stuttered as she tried to regain her senses.

"Not bad, yourself?" Dunamis replied as he brushed his ebony coloured hair out of his face. Nessa took interest in every detail of his movement, the way he looked at her with his stunning golden eyes, the way the shadows caught his tanned cheeks, the motion his fine, white shirt made as his chest rose and fell with each breath, how the sleeves hugged his biceps tightly, the way the material of his black trousers gripped to his strong, muscular thighs as he sat beside her, the way she watched his tender lips say her name...

"Nessa?" Suddenly she broke out of her daze.

"Sorry, what?!" She said as she blinked herself back into the room.

"I said you're spilling your drink..." He smirked as he watched her as she realised she'd tipped her glass and the strawberries were rolling onto the tiled floor. Quickly she righted herself and put her now empty glass down on the table whilst sneakily kicking the wet fruit under the sofa. The others laughed as Nessa blushed through her pale make-up, the colour of her cheeks clashing awfully with her hair. The group bounced straight back into general chit chat and Nessa found herself drifting in and out of the conversation. One minute she was telling the girls where she got her dress from and how long it'd taken Sephora to do her hair and the next moment she was staring silently at Dun as he laughed and joked through the conversation. He was perfection, not only visually, he knew exactly how to make Nessa laugh or when she needed a hug and even when he needed to keep his distance. After a party, he'd come over and bring her breakfast in bed and he checked on her everyday for a month after her parents died. All that aside, one of the main reasons she was so completely intoxicated by him was his fashion. He wasn't the usual Capitol Couture type, which Nessa thought strange, almost blasphemous. He always seemed so under dressed compared to the bright, exotic styles around him but even now in his plain, white shirt and plain, black trousers, she couldn't take her eyes off him.

The first time they met, the after party was themed as a masquerade ball. Others had come in elegant but hugely over dramatic outfits, with masks that were decorated with so many sequins, feathers and other dangling objects it was almost impossible to turn your head without poking somebody's eyes out. Nessa had gone for a more classical look with a dazzling white ball gown and an antlered mask, it was encrusted with diamonds and sparkled hypnotically beneath the chandelier. Dunamis, however came dressed all in black, a smart shirt which outlined his masculine body perfectly, he wore it unbuttoned, down to his chest to reveal just enough to tease anybody who saw him. His trousers, much like the ones he wore today we just plain and simple yet fit him so perfectly it sent Nessa weak at the knees. Why did this boy hold so much power over her?

* * *

As the evening drew on and the sun disappeared behind the horizon, the group had made their way into the street once more. At nightfall, The Capitol comes alive with a whole new blend of people, outfits even more distinctive than before roam around looking for a night club or wealthy party to go to. Holograms run along the center of the walkway and act as tourist information posts. Every now and then a dispenser will be offering shot glasses full of a strange liquid which the citizens will drink to make themselves vomit, just so they can continue to eat more and more through the night.

"Didn't you ever try that, Ashe?" Syn made as a joking dig at her friend. By this time, the cocktails had been flowing freely and they were all getting a little more than merry. Ternity was holding Didy's hand and skipping along happily as she sang a song that was stuck in her head. Ashe had flicked Syn between the eyes and the pair had ended up chasing each other into the crowd of people around them. Skot walked alongside Nessa, their arms linked as they moved together and with his hands in his pockets, Dun walked along on the other side of Ness, her arm through his.

"Where are we going now?" Skot asked as she looked around at all the packed bars and clubs.

"I don't know about you, but I could definitely do with a bite to eat..." Dunamis suggested, giving a sideways glance to Nessa who was focusing on how to make her braids tickle her back as she walked.

"We can head back to mine for food, if we want?" Ness asked, not wanting to end her time with Dun just yet. He smiled and nodded, they turned to Skot who grinned and yelled out to the others.

"Guys, we're heading to Nessa's house... get ready to party people!" Didy and Ternity cheered as they now walked lazily up ahead. Syn and Ashe hadn't heard but were so busy chasing each other in circles that they could just be herded along the route to Nessa's.

It wasn't far from The Hub to her home, after all she wanted a place close to the clothing stores. They could easily hop into a cab, but Nessa was enjoying her walk, linked in so close to Dun and she loved the buzz of The Capitol at night and so they continued on foot. Soon enough they were strolling through the park which separated Nessa's home from the high street and the stars glimmered through the tree tops. If it wasn't for the extra company of Skot, this would be one of those opportunities where neither Ness nor Dun would but could make a move. As she walked along dreamily, she played a scene over and over in her head. It'd be so romantic for Dun to stop, turn and kiss Nessa, pulling her body close to his, being careful he didn't mess up her hair or crease her dress of course.

* * *

And that's where it all began...

A loud crackling sound buzzed through the park, a little white noise and then the sky lit up. Across the sky was the image of a man. He stayed silent for a second as Nessa, her friends and everyone around them looked up to the vision, confused. Whenever this had happened before, it was usually President Snow making an announcement and the Final Day of The Hunger Games was always broadcast this way, but as she squinted at the bright image, she didn't recognise this man at all, who was he? A moment later and the visage began to grin, which developed into a snigger until it evolved into a menacing cackle. The image flickered a little and the crackling interference rang through the air before everything settled down again and the mysterious man stopped laughing. He paused for a second, looked directly into the camera and began to speak.

"Welcome..." He said, his voice deep and powerful. "For far too long, The Capitol has flourished and grown as you all roll in your riches. Living your sickly sweet lives whilst we in the Districts suffer and work from cradle to grave to satisfy you, your city and Snow." The mention of a man from the Districts being so openly aggressive towards the President of Panem on a live broadcast, sent mutters and whispers throughout the city. "We've watched in tears every year as our friends and children are sent to slaughter in what you call 'entertainment'... what you call 'The Hunger Games'!" A shiver shot down Nessa's spine and she pressed herself tightly against Dunamis. "Oh my, how rude of me!" The stranger mocked a Capitol accent. "Allow me to introduce myself... I am Axel Kakon! I come from District Three. Formalities over." He switched back to his native accent. All eyes in the city were aimed skywards right now, people would have stopped their nightly parties, put down their champagne and gone outside to witness the disturbance in the sky. "Well, my friends..." He snuffed. "It's about time you began to work for your food." Confusion ran through the minds of everyone around, especially those who had never had to work a day in their lives. Skot glared into the nights sky, she may have had a silver spoon her whole life, but she was strong and she didn't let fear show through. "We have taken the Games Station by force and from here we have the ability to do all sorts of pretty little things in the arena... you've watched The Games, you know exactly what we're capable of from here... we could program the scenery, cause a fire, plant a bomb or create a number of Muttations." What was happening? Nessa's mind filled with a messy web of confusion she was frantically trying to untangle. "So what? I hear you say... well... here's the fun part..." The tone in his voice took a rather sadistic twist and the entire population of The Capitol fell silent as they listened intensely to Axel's every word. "We've hacked into The Capitol's network... whatever we can do inside the arena... we can now do in your glorious city." Fear engulfed the inhabitants like a tidal wave and pandemonium began. People screamed and ran to their homes. Others gathered their children and prayed to the God's to spare them. Nessa was overwhelmed with emotion and stood silently as a single tear rolled down her cheek. They watched as brightly coloured, panic driven mayhem whirled around them. Axel had gone silent with a flicker of evil in his eyes, he was enjoying the chaos he knew was erupting around the city.

"Welcome... to The Hunger Games!" His malicious laughter echoed around the city once more before he mocked a Capitol accent once more.

"May the odds be ever in your favour!" He snarled before the recording switched off.


	2. Welcome to the Party

The shadows cast across the park by the trees spun eerily as the fireball flew through the sky overhead. Screams were muffled by the sound of impact as the conjured meteorite slammed into a tall elegant building which proudly decorated the Capitol's skyline. Catching a glimpse through the tree tops, Nessa watched as the skyscraper became engulfed in flames before the structure weakened and crumbled to the ground in a cloud of dust and debris. Her heart froze as she choked on a lump forming in her throat. Tears fell from her eyes causing streaks of her make-up to run down her cheeks. It wasn't the thought of lost lives that filled her with emotion, it was the shock of what she was seeing that hit her first, a skyline she'd worshipped and adored since she was a child, suddenly changed, destroyed. How could something so large and strong enough to withstand Capitol life for many, many years suddenly have fallen in seconds? The scale of this attack was the reason her heart was aching... and then she felt something else, a new sense of dread. That building held homes to hundreds of people; parents, children, old, young, pets... anybody inside during the collapse would surely be dead.

* * *

"Nessa!" Ternity yelled signalling over to the silhouette of the twins racing back towards the city hand in hand, fumbling over their steps. Of course, the twins had called that building their home. One of the top floors, all to themselves, a three-hundred-and-sixty degree view of the city. Gone.

"Syn!" Nessa shrieked but her voice was drowned out in the park full of terrified people. "Didy!" She knew they hadn't heard her but her brain wasn't sending any more words to her mouth and so she just watched in silence as her friends ducked around a corner. Skot began after them but Nessa grabbed her arm and as Skot looked into her friends leaking eyes she knew it was useless to argue.

"Come on, this way!" Dunamis wrapped an arm around Nessa and pulled her away. Her eyes focused on the newly changed skyline through the trees once more before she turned and as a group, they scurried through the park. Dodging people as they ran, Nessa spotted petrified women standing speechless, just staring into darkness. Children bawling their eyes out as they searched for their parents amongst the chaos. She even witnessed a tall, macho looking male fall to his knees and weep like a baby as his wife tried to comfort him.

"This way!" Ternity led the way out of the park and down a quaint looking street. She'd been to Nessa's house enough times to know the quickest route and as they turned a corner, they saw the porch light illuminating the entrance. "Nessa, key!" Ternity barked as they got closer. Half in a daze, Nessa rummaged in her purse before pulling out her key card. Holding it out, Duna passed it to Ternity who bolted ahead and swiped the door open allowing the others to enter swiftly before slamming the heavy door behind them.

* * *

Inside the house was silence. Sound-proofed so well that the mayhem outside vanished. The style of the hallway oozed with Nessa's chic. A grand stairway spiralled towards a graceful balcony. A mahogany desk decorated the hallway; it's finely sculpted legs resting softly on the wooden floorboards. On one end of the desk a huge vase of sweet smelling flowers sent a scent through the house, at the other end, a holographic image of a family portrait giggled and smiled silently. A holographic twelve year old Nessa beamed innocently as her parents flickered over her. The walls were painted a simple, clean white which made the crazy colours of its guests stand out even more. A crystal chandelier hung delicately above them and sent rainbows of light sparkling over the plain walls.

The group were perfectly silent; even Ashe's whimpering was soundless. None of them knew what to do, what was going to happen, how to prepare themselves and then Nessa snapped back into herself and became the perfect host.

"Anybody for a cup of tea?" She asked as her heels clacked across the floor towards the kitchen. "Tern, take everybody into the lounge, please... make yourselves comfortable!" She suggested with an empty smile across her face before she turned swiftly sending the braids whipping across her shoulders as she entered the kitchen. She heard the others slumping into the leather sofa as their mumbled words became muffled through the walls. Alone at last, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Racing over to the work top, she scratched her nails across the counter as her hands trembled.

"Are you alright?" She spun around to see Ternity in the doorway, a concerned look in her eyes as fear frolicked inside her head. Nessa swallowed the lump back in her throat before trying to speak but no sound followed. It must've taken Nessa by surprise and as her attention focussed on her best friend, she broke down. Ternity raced over and caught Nessa under the arms as she folded to the floor, sobbing loudly into the material of Ternity's blouse. In a comforting embrace, the pair lowered gently to the floor and wept together, neither of them able to comfort the other or knowing what to do. It lasted what seemed like hours before another word was said, but as they finally managed to pull themselves together, Nessa carefully wiped her tears away, spreading make-up across her face and choked out a sentence.

"I could really do with that tea now! In a large cup." She blubbered sending the pair into a nervous giggling fit as they stood and straightened their hair and outfits. Reaching for a control panel, Nessa typed out a few numbers and within seconds, a section of the counter split apart allowing a silver tray to rise into view. On the tray sat a multi-coloured, polka-dotted tea-pot, matching teacups and saucers each with a silver spoon rested on the side, a sugar bowl and milk jug.

"I'll take it." Ternity grasped the tray handles and led the way to the others. Nessa tried to sort out her make-up in the reflection of a window before following. As she entered the room, she watched as everybody was helping themselves to tea and snuggling up to each other on the sofa, if she hadn't have known better, she'd have thought it was just another social gathering. She perched on the edge of a seat besides Dunamis and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. So warm, so strong, so familiar, and so nice. She smiled at him and sighed before Skot passed her a steaming cup of tea. Milk, no sugar, just the way she liked it.

Perhaps it was the shock of what was happening outside or maybe they were all just extremely content with their tea but nobody said a word for a while. It wasn't until Nessa rattled an empty cup back onto the table that the silence was once again broken. She got to her feet and walked over to the corner of the room. A dark purple sheet lay over a large object and as the hostess ran her fingers over the material, she whistled a pretty tune. As she pulled back the curtain, the tune was relayed back to her in perfect pitch.

"Hello beautiful!" Nessa said gently as her fingers opened the cage.

"Hello beautiful!" Replied Twitter as he flew out and landed on her shoulder. The mockingjay nodded its head repeatedly as it perched on Nessa's shoulder.

"Say 'hello' Twit!" She smiled kindly as she tickled the bird under his beak.

"Hello... hello... Twit!" He squawked sending the group into a roar of laughter, Nessa looked at each of her friends, smiles across their faces and she sighed as she remembered the horror outside. Careful not to disturb her pet, she moved back to her seat and perched on the edge of the firm cushion. Duna lifted his hand, finger extended, offering a new perch for the mockingjay and as Twitter shuffled onto his hand, Nessa relaxed back into the chair.

"Television on!" She spoke loudly and within seconds the eighty inch plasma screen decorating the wall hissed into life. "Capitol News!" She said watching the screen flick from a music video to live footage from outside. A News helicopter circled the city, smoke plumed into the nights sky as small fires blazed throughout the rubble below. In the corner of the screen, the park they'd strolled through at the time of the attack. As the camera cut back to the news room a solemn looking gent swallowed his emotions before speaking.

"Thank you Cece. What you've just seen are live images from what only an hour ago was the Theia Tower. The attack came from the Games Station where terrorist, Axel Kakon glorified himself as the new Games Master." The feed switched to the video transmitted from the Games Station, Nessa shivered and squirmed in her seat as she watched Axel reveal himself and his intentions before the TV showed the news reader once more. "Citizens of the Capitol... Stay Strong. We have risen from the ashes before and we will prevail once more." In his most motivational and empowering voice he continued. "Axel Kakon, we will not be bullied, we will not be afraid." Before he could begin his next sentence, the screen switched back to Axel, the room filled with whispers as they realised this wasn't a glitch in the programme but a new live feed from the Terror Cell.

"I beg to differ..." Axel had a brutal grin across his face as he ran his fingers through his salt and pepper hair. Although terrified by the man, Nessa couldn't help but notice how attractive he was, behind the cruelty of his words and actions Axel was what the girls would label 'a Silver Fox.' "Citizens of the Capitol," he mimicked the newsreader. "You should be afraid, very afraid. As you've seen, I already know my way around the Game Station's control panels and from here we control your beloved city." Skot tensed as Ashe cowered behind her as though Axel could reach through the television screen. "So, Roman," Axel addressed the news reader by name as the screen split down the center, Axel's face on the left as Roman reappeared with a worried expression on the right. "Let's see that brave face of yours once more as you play the first little part of our game." A moment of silence before he continued. "If you would please read from your autocue..." Axel's portion of the screen slipped away giving Roman the full focus. The group sat in anticipation and fear as the smartly dressed man on the screen took his time to look over the words in front of him. He took a deep breath and Nessa gasped as a tear slipped down Roman's cheek during his live broadcast. He cleared his throat and choked on his words as he tried to speak. Taking a moment to gather himself, he took another deep breath exhaling slowly before beginning, desperately trying to keep his lower lip from quivering.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen, The Hunger Games have been a huge part of life for everybody in Panema. The Capitol has cheered and partied as victims from the Districts were forced to fight for their own lives and slaughter each other for your entertainment. Axel and his friends love a good party and have decided to throw their own... but don't get too excited; it's a limited guest list. He has selected twenty-four of our cities wonderful residents for his event." The number of 'guests' sparked something in everybody's minds as they realised it's the number of Tributes who take part in each years' Hunger Games and they all winced as they realised this wasn't an invite to a party at all...

"It's a party to die for..." Roman whimpered as more tears fell onto his desk, people across the city began to put the puzzle pieces together as they predicted what was coming. "...literally. The twenty-four party guests will be fighting to the death to get their party favours." The news feed cut off and Axel's smug grin returned to the giant screen.

"Yes... your very own Hunger Games! How exciting!" His eye twitched as he smirked. "Roman, I believe you have my guest list..." Pure evil oozed from his stare sending another shiver down Nessa's spine. Returning to the screen, Roman rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on his autocue. He read a name, but couldn't bring the words to his lips. He took a long sip of water from the glass beside him, a bit of the liquid dribbling down his cheek as his hand shook. Taking longer than necessary to put the glass down and calm his nerves he lowered his eyes from the camera, unable to bring himself to look the person in the eye, even though they were possibly miles apart.

"Oh my God!" Ternity gasped, fading her words off at the end as reality of the situation began to sink into their heads.

"I'm so sorry..." Roman began. "The first Tribute-"He froze as he realised his error in choice of words. Suddenly the many years he'd been announcing Tributes on the news waved over him with unimaginable guilt. "The first... 'Guest' to Axel's party..." He stuck to reading the autocue, the only thing keeping him steady right now. Eyes still focussed on his desk and not the camera.

"Dru Waters."

The name echoed as the city fell silent. Nessa scanned the room for any signs that her friends knew the name, but nobody budged as they kept their eyes eagerly on the screen, praying their name didn't get called. As the silence continued, a data screen appeared on the TV showing a clear image of Dru Waters, his statistics listed besides his picture. Next another male's image and stats spiralled on the screen under the title of his name.

"Zeus Feytrix"

Zeus was a beast of a man. His muscles erupted from his body as if they were trying the tear his clothes from his skin. A glare fell across his eyes promising that whoever he met would know their place. Nessa gulped feeling sorry for Dru knowing he'd be competing against Zeus, who she'd already nicknamed 'Titan'. Suddenly she sat upright shaking her head as she realised she'd misplaced the horror of what was happening and had relapsed into enjoying the announcement just as she had with other games once or twice. Although she'd always disliked the nature and cruelty of the Games, she found it difficult not to get swept along by all the buzz and excitement they brought with them.

"Andrea Lovegost"

A slender female appeared, spinning on the screen and once again Nessa lost her thoughts as she admired the dress Andrea wore. The names kept coming, men and women of all shapes, sizes and ages popped onto the screen. The youngest was a twelve year old girl, Ginomai Zakk. As she appeared on the screen Nessa's heart crumpled beneath her chest as she stared into the innocent eyes of the child. The Capitol had been entering children into the Games for years and most of them hadn't even come close to claiming the title of Victor. She suddenly wondered how anybody could be so cruel as to put a child through that and as embarrassment for her city threatened to drown her, she began to weep. Twitter hopped from Dunamis' hand and back onto Nessa's shoulder, rubbing his feathered head against her cheek as he sensed her sadness.

"What happened?" Skot questioned as the screen went black halfway through a competitor's statistics were being projected onto the TV. Moments later a notification came up:

'WE ARE CURRENTLY UNDERGOING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, PLEASE HOLD WHILE WE TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. WE APOLOGISE FOR ANY INCONVINIENCE THIS MAY CAUSE. THANK YOU FOR WATCHING. CAPITOL NEWS.'

"They're trying to fight it!" Ashe sat up a smile on his face glimmering with hope. A second later the screen flickered between the statement, the news room and back to the statement before it finally settled on Axel.

"Oh come on... this is getting boring now. If you try to interfere with my broadcast again, you'll regret it." He said, almost nonchalant. "...do not try my patience!" He snarled before once again the camera was back onto a sweaty faced Roman.

The newsman loosened his collar and slowly continued to read out the guest list of names. Ashe retracted back into his cowering position and sobbed quietly as hope left him.

"I know him!" Ternity said, pointing at the TV as an elderly gentleman spun around on the screen. "He used to go fishing with my father!" She swallowed painfully as the memories of the gentle, old man crawled out of her mouth. A comforting hand rested on her shoulder.

A few more contestants appeared on the screen before horror filled the room. Turning slowly around on the screen was a young woman, beautiful, happy features, well groomed and brilliantly decorated clothes. The name appeared atop her image and Twitter sang the words beautifully.

"Vanessa Elpis."

The room fell silent. Nessa went stiff, all eyes on her as her friends were lost for words. She watched herself spinning around on the screen. For a while she was empty. Not knowing which emotion to feel first, she felt none. Then as fear, panic, sadness, anger, pain and everything else rushed through her body at once, she fell to the floor and screamed with tears. Twitter flew up to perch on the chandelier as the others all rushed to comfort their friend with concerned hugs and false promises of "It's going to be okay!"

They'd all turned their attention from the screen and the noise of tears mixed with everybody trying to lift her spirits, the sound from the television was overshadowed as Roman appeared on the screen.

"It wouldn't be much of a party without a big surprise... so here it is ladies and gents. The final guests of the night." His voice almost inaudible as the group struggled to get Nessa back to her seat. Suddenly the room dropped into a tense silence again as they heard the two guests being read out.

"Didymus and Syntah Sunergio"

Turning in disbelief, they watched as Syn and Didy appeared on the screen.

"That's right," Roman continued. "Our final guests tonight are twins... as we all know... there can only be one victor." He swallowed back his tears before he finished the broadcast, each word biting into his tongue like a viper. "Won't this be fun?"

Before he could say another word, the TV flickered and Axel appeared on one half of the screen, laughing menacingly. "You lucky, lucky people... you get to come to the best party in town!" He looked off screen and nodded at someone off camera. "My dear Roman... thank you very much for your cooperation. Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about you!" On the other side of the screen Roman looked more worried that they hadn't forgotten him. "You get an invite too..." Roman winced and closed his eyes. "...but let's find you something a bit more glamorous to wear. How do you feel about fur?" Axel smirked and disappeared from the screen leaving Roman broadcasting alone and not quite knowing what to do next he just sat and stared into the camera. Moments of confusion passed and the nation watched as Roman clutched at his throat as if he was fighting for air, his eyes rolled back into his head and his muscled tensed harshly. Nessa looked on as hair began to sprout from his skin, his eyes faded until they were a midnight black, his hands slammed into the desk as they grew larger, what seemed like bone tore from his knuckles into vicious claws. His face slowly changed from the thin features of a man to the snarling snout of a Muttation. The sound of screams could be heard from behind the camera as what used to be Roman pounced out from behind the table and raced for a taste of flesh. Axel's team had transformed him and as the sound of the newsroom faded out into silence a message appeared on the screen.

"May the odds be ever in your favour."


End file.
